Your charges explained 2018-19 - wessexwater.co.uk - Wessex Water
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Your charges explained
2018-19
wessexwater.co.uk
1
Contents Introduction
Introduction 1 Each year we set our charges according to price limits that we agree with
Ofwat every five years.
Charges 2018-19 2 The last of these reviews was in 2014 when prices were set for the period
between 2015 and 2020.
Metered customers 4 This leaflet explains more about Ofwat’s price limits, how you are charged and
where the money goes.
Unmetered customers 6
You’ll find more detailed information in our charges scheme, visit
wessexwater.co.uk/our-charges or call 0345 600 3 600 (Monday to Friday,
Where your money goes 8 8am to 6pm) for a copy.
Common questions 10 The Wessex Water region
Reduction of your sewerage bill 12
Contact us Back cover
Stroud
Wessex
Water Cotswold
South
Gloucestershire
Bristol
Chippenham
North
Somerset
Bath Devizes
BANES
Weston-super-Mare Trowbridge
Sedgemoor Wiltshire
Mendip
Warminster
West Bridgwater
Somerset
Salisbury
Taunton Yeovil
South
Somerset North
Dorset
East New Forest
West Dorset
Dorset
Dorchester Poole Christchurch
Key
Purbeck Bournemouth
Water supply and sewerage services area
Weymouth Weymouth
Sewerage services only and Portland
Water supply services only
1
Charges 2018-19
Our metered charges from 1 April 2018 are: How the charges are set The difference between
Water supply Sewerage Our customers are a very important metered and unmetered
part of our process for setting charges. charges
Meter size Standing Volumetric Full stand- Abated Volumetric We consult with them at length and
We make sure that the difference
charge per charge per ing charge standing charge per take their views into account in our
between metered and unmetered
annum cubic metre per annum charge* per cubic metre five-yearly business plan. There’s more
annum bills reflects the difference in the cost
information on pages 8 and 9 about
of providing these services. By using
Metered customers
Metered charges — charging for the water you use
If you have a meter your water charges The 5% allowance covers virtually all
WaterSure Plus
depend on the amount of water you use. household situations, eg, evaporation, If you have a water meter and you credit, housing benefit or universal
car washing, drinking, cooking and all need to use a large amount of water credit.
Water supplies to new homes will be
garden related use (including normal for reasons you cannot control, In addition, you must either:
metered as no rateable value exists for
use of hosepipes, sprinklers, paddling WaterSure Plus may be able to help. • receive child benefit for three or
these properties. We also aim to install
pools and hot tub top ups). It also takes WaterSure Plus puts a limit on the more children under 19 living in your
water meters on properties which are
into account wet and dry years. amount you have to pay. household, or
currently unmetered when there is an
occupier change following a property The average UK household uses 130m3 To qualify for WaterSure Plus, you • have someone in the household
sale or a new tenancy. of water per year. The 5% allowance must receive one of the means-tested with a medical condition that causes
amounts to about 6,500 litres or benefits or tax credits, such as income them to use significantly more
Customers who use a sprinkler or have
1,430 gallons. support, income-related employment water.
a swimming pool must also have a
and support allowance, working tax
metered supply. If considerably less than 95% of your
water use is returned to the sewer, See our website for more information: wessexwater.co.uk/watersureplus
Where a metered bill spans a period
please let us know and we’ll find out if or call 0345 600 3 600 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm).
before and after 1 April 2018, we charge
for water used before 1 April at 2017 you qualify for a reduction in charges.
rates and water used after that date Pension Credit discount
at 2018 rates. We assume that use is Your bill If you receive Pension Credit or state pension is your only income, we may be
consistent throughout the entire billing If you have a water meter you will be able to offer you a discount of around 20% off your bill. For an application form,
period. Sewerage charges, where billed in arrears, normally twice a year, call 0345 600 6 600 (24 hour automated service) or visit
applicable, are applied on the same for the water you have used. Payment wessexwater.co.uk/pensioncredit
basis. is due immediately unless you have a
Sewerage is normally charged on the payment arrangement with us. If you Making small changes to how you use water in your home can
assumption that 95% of the water used have recently had a water meter fitted, Save every help reduce your water use, save you money and help your local
your first bill will normally arrive within
returns to the sewer.
six months of this date.
drop environment. Try using these three easy tips to help you save
water where you use it most – the bathroom.
Brushing teeth Do you leave the tap running when brushing your teeth,
Metered standard charges washing or shaving? Turning it off could save you up to 18 litres a day.
Your meter connection size determines your standing charges. Meter
Having a shower How long do you spend in the shower? Try taking the
connection sizes vary. The metered water supply standing charge
4-minute shower challenge. Every minute less you spend in the shower could
covers some of the cost of reading the meter, its repair or
save you 10 litres.
replacement and billing costs.
The metered sewerage standing charge includes billing Using the toilet Could you flush the toilet once a day less than you
costs and the costs associated with the collection and currently do? Each flush uses an average of 7 litres of water.
treatment of surface water and highway drainage.
Following these simple tips could save you up to 13,000 litres of water a year. You
The standing charges are annual fixed charges and could make even further savings by fixing leaking taps, showers and toilets, which
each metered bill includes a proportion of the standing can waste over 200 litres of water a day!
charge based on the number of days since the last
For more advice and to order FREE water saving devices for your home
meter reading.
visit wessexwater.co.uk/savingwater
4 5
Unmetered customers
Unmetered charges — charging on the basis of your
rateable value Unmetered standard charges
If you pay for your water on an In 1990 the government introduced The unmetered standing charges are the same for both water supply and
unmetered basis, the rateable value the community charge (poll tax) and sewerage. This year we have once again held our unmetered standing charge
of your property is used to calculate the Valuation Office stopped assessing at £7. Part of this covers the cost of billing as well as an element that reflects
your bill. Rateable value was used up to or changing rateable values. The some of the fixed costs of providing you with water and/or sewerage services.
1990 as the basis of the general rate bill community charge was replaced by the Each water company decides what proportion of fixed costs to include in its
paid to your local council. Values were council tax and the Valuation Office standing charges so standing charges can vary considerably between different
assessed and changed by the Valuation started assessing council tax bands. companies.
Office of the Inland Revenue and were
Unlike rateable values, these bands are
based loosely on the rental value of a
based on the actual value of a property
property.
rather than the rental value. The two Your bill
A number of factors were taken into assessments can’t be compared and a
Unmetered customers normally receive one bill
account when assessing the rental change to the council tax banding does
value, including the size of the property, not change a rateable value.
each year and the charges are payable in advance
because we know the full year’s charge right from Switch
general condition and availability of
local services. We don’t know exactly
By law water companies have the right
to continue using rateable values as the
the start. Council tax works the same way.
Most of our customers spread the cost of their bill
to a meter
how individual values were calculated
because it was never our responsibility.
basis of charge. The Valuation Office no
longer deals with rateable values and
with an instalment arrangement. For customers
who prefer standard options, payment can be made
and save
there is no mechanism in place to change
in full by 1 April or in two half-yearly amounts due on
them.
1 April and 1 October. If you do not pay the first half
It is important to remember that if in April, the total bill has to be paid immediately.
your water bill is based on the rateable Customers on a
value of your property, it means it is not water meter save
directly related to your use of water and/
or sewerage services. So if you feel your on average around
unmetered charge is higher than your £100 per year.
water use you can normally have a water
meter fitted free of charge.
With our Money
The single occupier discounts associated
with the council tax don’t apply to water
Back Guarantee you
or sewerage charges, but if you are a low can try out a meter
water user a water meter could help you
reduce the amount of water you use and
for free and you
lower your bill. won’t pay more.
You may find that your neighbour lives in
a similar house but the rateable value for see page 10
each property is different, which means
your water and/or sewerage bills will be
different too.
6 7
What we do for you
Your water supply and sewerage services are provided by Wessex Water. Here’s
what we do for you every day to ensure you receive the very best standards of
service.
Your tap water is clean, safe and ready to drink Saving water helps the environment
Every day your water gets treated to the highest standard before We carefully manage our water sources so you have enough
being pumped to your home. We take daily water samples and test it water when you need it, but at the same time we ensure we
to make sure it is safe for everyone to use. Did you know a two litre don’t take any more than we need to from the environment.
premium branded bottle of water is 270 times more expensive than Saving water in your home helps protect the environment.
two litres of tap water!
Always here to help
You have a reliable supply of water Sometimes you need to get in touch. But don’t
We’re renewing pipes and fixing visible leaks worry, if there’s a problem we’re on hand
the same day to save water. In your area we 24 hours a day to deal with emergencies and
take care of 7,200 miles of water mains and use help. Our customer service is rated the best out
modern techniques to identify and fix leaks. of all water and sewerage companies.
We safely take away your sewage Out of sight out of mind
Below ground we look after sewers and
and wastewater
manage flows to minimise risk of flooding.
When you flush the toilet or pull the plug, your
We invest in upsizing sewers or building
waste travels through a network of sewers to
large underground tanks to cope with our
our sewage works where it’s treated.
growing population.
Protecting rivers, lakes and the sea
Maintaining our underground network of
Recycling your wastewater
At our sewage works your waste is treated to a
pipes and treating sewage to a high standard
standard so it can be safely returned to the
keeps local watercourses healthy and free
environment. During the process we generate
from pollution.
renewable energy powering homes and businesses.
In your community Our performance
It’s not just water and sewerage services that We are committed to ensuring Our performance continues to be among the
we invest in. Every day we’re working in your we meet and exceed the highest in the UK:
local community visiting schools to help educate standards monitored by • our drinking water compliance is 99.9%
children about the importance of the water cycle, bodies such as Ofwat, the • our sewage treatment compliance is 100%
supporting environmental projects and working Environment Agency and the • our compliance with bathing water
with partners, such as debt advice agencies, to Drinking Water Inspectorate. standards is 100%
help those customers who need that extra care.
Find out more at wessexwater.co.uk • our customer satisfaction levels are 98%.
8 9
Common questions
Why are Wessex Water bills higher getting water to rural areas is high. We Why do I have to pay standing I am moving home. What should I
than some other water companies? also have some of the highest quality and charges? do?
service standards in the industry.
The cost of water and sewerage services Standing charges for metered customers If you are moving, please read your meter
varies around the country because each Why are unmetered charges billed contribute towards the cost of reading (if you have one) on the day you move
water and sewerage company works in advance? the meter, its repair or replacement and and call us on 0345 600 3 600 (Monday
in a different geographical area and billing costs. Some of these costs are to Friday, 8am to 6pm) or complete our
Originally charges were collected by recovered through the water supply
to different standards of service and online form at wessexwater.co.uk/
local authorities who provided sewerage standing charge and the rest through the
efficiency. These factors are taken into moving so that we can amend your bill.
and/or water services. They charged in sewerage standing charge.
consideration when Ofwat agrees the
advance in the same way that the council If you have difficulty reading your meter,
overall level of charges that companies We recover the costs of dealing with
tax is now billed. While we continue to bill please give us five working days’ notice
can apply. surface water and highway drainage with
in advance, customers can choose to take and we will take your final meter reading.
Our charges are higher than some other advantage of different payment options a fixed charge because these costs bear
no relation to the volume of water used. We now aim to install water meters
water companies because we serve a to spread the cost of the bill over the year.
on properties which are currently
largely rural population and the cost of The unmetered standing charges are unmetered when there is an occupier
the same for water supply and sewerage change following a property sale or a new
Can I have a water meter? and part covers the cost of billing and the tenancy.
More and more of our customers are switching to a meter fixed costs of providing you with water
and only paying for water they use. and/or sewerage services. Do I have to pay charges if I am
If you live on your own, have a small family, live in a house renovating my property?
What if I receive water or sewerage
with a high rateable value, or you are a low water user, Yes. If you are using water full charges are
having a water meter could help you lower your bill. We services from another water
payable. If you have an unmetered supply
can normally fit a meter for free. We’ll let you try it out You won’t pay more. company? you can choose to have a meter and be
With our Money Back
and if you decide within two years it isn’t for you we’ll let Guarantee, if you If you are on the boundary of the Wessex billed for what you use.
you go back to paying on an unmetered basis*. don’t save money Water area and receive your water supply
If we’re unable to fit a meter we may be able to offer an after two years you from us and sewerage services from
alternative charge called an assessed charge. This is an can revert back** another water company, you will receive
as if you’d never two separate bills. If you have a water Problems paying
annual charge based on the number of occupants in the
property. Assessed charges will apply from the date of
been on a meter and meter, we will forward details of your Money can be a worry for all of us
we will credit any water use to the relevant company so and sometimes we struggle to pay
the survey and can only be applied if it is too expensive or overpayments.
physically impossible to fit a meter. your sewerage charges can be billed in our bills.
relation to the volume of water on the If you are in financial difficulty talk to
Apply online at wessexwater.co.uk/meter or request a leaflet and meter. us today and we may be able to help
application form by calling 0345 600 6 600 (24 hour automated service). you:
If you receive your water supply from
Bournemouth Water supply customers should call 01202 590 059. • spread the cost of your bills
Bournemouth Water or Cholderton
and District Water and we provide your • pay us directly from your benefits
*This option lapses after you have been billed for two years on the metered charge. You can
only make this change once. If you decide to change back to unmetered charges we will not sewerage services you will receive two • lower your water bill
normally physically remove the meter. It does not apply if you’ve had a meter fitted through our separate bills. If you have a water meter, • repay debt and get back on track.
change of occupancy policy. we will base your sewerage charges on Visit: wessexwater.co.uk/tap or call
**You can revert back at any time during the first two years with the cut-off date being 30 days the information provided by your water
0345 600 3 600 (Monday to Friday,
following the bill at the end of your second year. To qualify for the Money Back Guarantee you supply company.
must keep your meter for the full two years and then ask to revert.
8am to 6pm).
10 11Reduction of your sewerage bill
If you can prove that the majority of the rainwater from your property doesn’t
drain to a public sewer you could be entitled to a reduction in your sewerage
bill. To claim, you must prove that:
• t he majority of rainfall from your roof or shared roof drains into a soakaway
at the front and rear of your property
• t he majority of rainfall from your garden, drive, patio or yard runs off into the
ground.
Your claim will be unsuccessful if:
• you use a water butt but have no soakaways
• r ainwater from your roof runs indirectly to a sewer, eg, across a pavement,
driveway or hard-paved areas.
A soakaway is where water from your roof, etc, is piped to a form of
underground concrete or plastic chamber, tank or simple pit filled with stone or
gravel, within or outside the boundary of the property, or shared with adjacent
properties and normally at least three to four metres (10 to 15 feet) away from
the house foundations.
Most properties are connected to a public sewer and are not entitled to the
allowance.
It's free to make a claim.
Visit wessexwater.co.uk/surfacewaterdrainage or request a leaflet and
application form by calling 0345 600 6 600 (24 hour automated service).
have your say...
We value your opinion so join our online
customer research panel. You can tell us
what you think of our services, how we can
improve and help us plan for the future.
Visit wessexwater.co.uk/haveyoursay
12 136543
Contact us
Designed by Wessex Water design services February 2018 Printed on recycled paper
Questions about your bill
• Payment arrangements • Metering • Moving house • Problems paying
• High water use • Priority Services
0345 600 3 600 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm)
Email: customer.services@wessexwater.co.uk
(please quote your customer number and telephone number)
Write to: Wessex Water, 1 Clevedon Walk, Nailsea, Bristol BS48 1WA
wessexwater.co.uk
Automated billing telephone services
0345 600 6 600 when connected PRESS:
1 Meter option leaflet
2 Surface water drainage leaflet
3 Charges explained leaflet
4 Submit meter reading after an estimated bill
5 Information on rateable value charging
6 Pension Credit discount leaflet
Questions about your water supply or sewerage
• Loss of supply • Leak • Water quality problem • Sewage flooding
• Blocked sewer
0345 600 4 600
(Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm, emergencies only at other times)
Email: operational.enquiries@wessexwater.co.uk
wessexwater.co.uk
Bournemouth Water customers with enquiries about their water supply, billing or
metering should call 01202 590 059.
This document forms part of our code of practice for household customers.
We welcome calls via the Text Relay service.
Calls to 0345 numbers usually cost the same as standard UK landline numbers. Please check
with your telephone service provider. To protect our customers
and staff telephone calls may be recorded.
Wessex Water
Claverton Down
Bath BA2 7WW
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